Furthermore ad stripping software like Adsubtract stop your browser from even asking for the ads.
It's only matter of time until people realize that those banner ads are sucking down the bandwith on their poor 56k modems. Once they find they can surf faster without the ads, it'll spead faster than All-Advantage... -----
A CIO is concerned with the communication and data processes within an company and the relationship the company when communicating to the outside world.
A CTO is concerned with the various technologies used by a company to do business, improve business practices, and cope with the changing world outside the company.
Many seem to think that the only technology a company relys on is Information Technology. This is wrong. Information technology is a vital key to success in business, but it is not the only technology to be concerned with when running a company.
Imagine your run a large television network. There are vast amounts of data that flow to keep the network on the air. The IT challenges are formidable. Outside of IT there are many other concerns with the technologies needed to roduce the shows, transmit them over satellites, and get them to people's home. Not to mention working with consumer products to develop other outlets for the audio and video media that the network produces.
Imagine you are running a theme park. Again, IT technology is vital, but so is the ability to build rides, develop new technologies for guests, and react to the competing theme parks.
As you can see, the roles of CIO and CTO are seperate and distinct. I'll conceed in a pure play IT company, there isn't a lot of ground for the CTO to cover, but most companies aren't pure play IT companies. -----
Solar wind will kill this thing
on
Macs In Space II
·
· Score: 5
The solar radiation will degrade the hard drive and RAM to the point of unusability. Long term solar radiation studies have shown that that extended exposure in orbit subjects electronics to solar storms and other destructive environments that harm non-shielded systems.
There are also the issues of microgravity and vacuum. Metals behave differently in orbit. Several communications satellites have failed because of the growth of zinc solenoids in the spacecraft in orbit. Plastics will outgas, changing their structure. The air trapped in the hardrive will exert a constant pressure on the seals holding it in, increasing the chance of hard drive failure. All the rules are different in space.
The temperature differential between the light and dark sides of the satellite are approx. 200 F. With all that thermal stress, all components will be mechanically stressed.
While I applaud this guys gung-ho spirit, I think he underestimates the harsh environment of space. -----
The problem will be that the transmission signal will be different than the decoded picture signal. A completely different packet format.
It would be like trying to record a TV signal on an audio cassette recorder. Yes, you could theoretically build a recorder that handles the transmission signal, but to record a 19.3 Mb/s signal takes some skill and is beyond the reach of most people.
I work in one of these large media mega-corps. The goal of all this is to prevent the casual user from engaging in copying programs. They (I should say we), all know that there will always be ways to get around the system. If you have to actually go out and buy a Macrovision fixer, most people won't do it.
The real loophole will be through the professional TV gear. No broadcaster will allow themselves to be saddled with these handicaps and concerns. Currently, professional broadcast gear ignores SCMS and all other copy protection systems. This won't change with DTV gear. -----
The central theme of the movie is not the green Destiny sword, it is the personal search each person is looking to resolve.
The sword is simply the device that allows the characters to search for that which eludes them. Whether it be unrequited love, vengance, or escape from destiny, eachcharacter strives to fight against their own nature to achieve what they truly desire.
I can't go into more details without spoiling the movie. But the movie is about what is truly important in life, love and happiness.
If you've already seen the movie, ask yourself, what does each personm in the film really want? Then look at the obstacles the person puts in their own way on the path there. Puts a whole different spin on the film. -----
He is blinded, just as we all are, by the communities we choose to participate in online.
The Well has been referenced as a touchstone for all online communities, a model for others to strive for. I think this is wrong.
Yes, in the early days of BBSs and the text only internet, these types of 'aesthetic salon' style commmunities were the mainstay and core of 'online people'. Once the online world opened to those outside academia and the computer industry the flavor of the net changed dramatically. "cozy little worlds" don't appeal to everyone. To expect that everyone wants to be "audience, performer and scriptwriter" is ludicrious.
I remember the day of the infamous 'Green Card' usenet spam. The net rose up and smote Canter & Siegel. I personally faxed them black pages to burn up their fax machinefuser. This type of group action is gone. Spam is with us forever more.
The same goes for this elusive idea of virtual communities. The idea of a 'best way' for online groups is wrong.
The idea that there is a bad influence out on the net wrecking virtual communities is wrong. Forget about whether the person is online or in the PTA meeting with you. If someone acts like a jerk, you treat them as a jerk. Whether the group is my Ultima Online group or my wife's online quilting guild, a community reacts the same way to disruptive influences, they fight back. The manner of fighting back doesn't matter, the fact that people stand up against anti-social people does.
Standing up to people in virtual community is no differnet than standing up to people real life. Yes, it takes a bit of courage (less online) but it is very effective. Whining about how communites are plagued by "hostile participants" does nothing to solve the problem. Navel gazing of this sort is more about boosting the ego of the gazer than solving the problem. "Everyone would see how great my friends and I are if those bad people would stop disagreeing with us.", is the basic tent of all those pining for the salad days of the Well.
Lastly, I need to point out that Rheingold's site, Hotwired, was not killed by anti-social types, it was killed by the editors that ran the site. Once a site that had daily essays and commentary in Packet that led to interesting discussion, Hotwired is now a web site about making web sites. Gone is any substantial commentary. Why? It didn't pay is my best guess. The fact is that there are many disruptive forces on virtual communities and they are all not anti-social teens. -----
Compassion, kindness, and the reduction of suffering by others at personal cost is the highest goal of life, or so Buddahism teaches. You may consider Buddahism not a 'viable way of life' but many do.
I agree it is an important concept, but remember we are talking about lessons for children here. Children have a very self centered world. The first step in teaching children compassion is teaching them they are not the center of the universe. This is what the Emperor's New Groove attempts to do.
As an adult, of course the goal is to temper personal satisfaction with compassion for others is a reasonable goal. But without learning the fundementals as a child, achieving this is nigh impossible. -----
Like most movies designed for kids, it's a bit simplistic. What would you expect? Keeping a 4 year focused for 90 minutes is a tough thing.
The story is about learning the importance of putting other's needs ahead of your own. A good lesson for everyone in this day and age. The bad are all punished and the once narcissitic emperor is rewarded with caring friends after learning to help others. As a parent, I'd much rather have them watch this than Scooby Doo.
The animation and music are on average for a Disney movie. You can tell they tried to keep the action in three places for simplicity, the castle, the peasant village, and the road between. There are none of the surperb background animation pieces found in Little Mermaid or Pochohantas. BTW, the preview for Atlantis looked promising, Jules verne style submarines, yum!
The are several cameos by other Disney characters to keep the adults chuckling. Adults that enjoy other Disney animation will enjoy this movie. the voice acting of all involved is good. Personally, I can't stand David Spade, but not seeing his alien-like RL body made it passable.
Overall, it's a good children's film that's worth catching on a matinee. -----
Do you think Carnivore is th only tool the intelligence agencies have to track you online?
With a court order, they can tap your internet connection, read your email, monitor your keyboard, enter your home and copy your hard drive, video tape you, audio tape you, log into your financial accounts, and monitor every last aspect of your life.
I have no great love for Microsoft products, but the Outlook/Exchange solution works well.
If implemented well it allows several important business tools.
Group calendaring (the best feature, IMHO)
Group tasking
Address/Contact Management
Powerful email managment
Yes, you can achieve all these things with seperate applications and servers, but with Outlook/Exchange they are combined into one system.
You can't base all you business decisions on the "Microsoft is Evil" philosophy. You need to base business decisions on what is best for the company's productivity and bottom line.
If someone has a opensource complete replacement for Outlook/Exchange, I'm all ears. Until then, Microsoft has a good product and I recommend using it. -----
The real benefit of having a speedy cpu/video card is the ability to run the games at a high resolution with all the effects turned on maximum.
Playing at 640x480 with 200 fps, but all the effects turned down/off is suxxor.
At 1280x1024 and high quality textures and effects, the games are smooth as movies at 60 fps. If your box can run this way, you don't need to run at 200 fps at 640x480. A great looking smooth picture is much better than a stripped down image.
The only problem I have is that the Windows nVidia drivers are still better than the Linux nVidia drivers. -----
I work in television for a large mega-corp content provider. I have worked many of the companies involved in the world of interactive television. The closest thing we have to a standard is ATVEF, a collection of software companies, content providers, cable/DSS providers, and consumer product manufacturers. If you look at the founders list, you will see a who's who of the companies that get TV and data into your house.
The basic idea of 'interactive TV' is the ability to provide a web type experience while watching TV . Yes, it may not be what everyone thinks is the killer application, but it is feasible and it can work today. Both Microsoft, Intel, and Liberate (formally NCI, formally Network Computer, spun off by Oracle) are using the ATVEF standards as a basis for their work. Companies like PowerTV, OpenTV, and Wink are attempting to use proprietary formats and software to achieve the the same goal.
The ATVEF group have developed a set of extension s to HTML that allow an ATVEF enabled device to display TV and web type images simultaneously. You can see a real example of this by watching Jeopardy on a WebTV box. You can play along with the show.
Part of the ATVEF standard calls for the inclusion of triggers and javascript type information to be actually sent with the video in the VBI (vertical blanking interval). This type of triggering allows synchonized events without worrying about the latency of the TV path.
A company called Mixed Signals does this type of TV enhancement for other comapnies.
Another type of enhanced TV is the 'two screen' type. Two screen means haivng your computer and TV in the same room. ABC has been doing this with Monday Night Football and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. If you watch a MNF or SNF game and see a play dispute instant replay, you will see the internet users actually voting on wether the play should stand or not. The count is updated in realtime on television. You can try it ABC's enhanced TV the next time one of their shows is on.
I's suggest reading the ATEVF site a bit. It's the standard supported by most of the content providers. They are the ones going to pay the big bill to enhance TV.
Let me know if you need to know more. I have the connections to find out pretty much any answer about this stuff. -----
Go with someone like BGW Systems for the rack mount shelves and such.
Look under "Racks" for details
Your still going to need decent cooling with an open case environment.
I don't know of a multi computer ATX power supply. -----
While all based on gaming, the communities that surround these games are large and vibrant. With real world gatherings, weddings, and acrimonius disputes, how are these communities any different than a bowling league?
They are not.
Society is constantly changing. For example, in the 1700's it might be preposterous to consider moving from New York to California, leaving your family behind, today it is commonplace. Communities moving to being based on the internet instead of the local coffeeshop or concert hall may sound strange to some, but it is the next step.
Just as there are many real world communities that I find uninteresting (bird watching groups), there are others that are interesting (my old fraternity buddies). There are some online groups that I don't want to be a part of (The Well), and others I do (Slashdot).
The real question that needs to be researched is the difference in the persona you are seen as in the real world as opposed to the persona you are seen as in a virtual community. I have many friends that know me only from online contact. How is their perception of me different than my coworker?
Since the letters they are sending have no legal weight, do the same to them. A C&D is no more than a way of showing that you are made aware of the company's desires.
Perhaps its time to call in a favor from my laywer buddies. DC's response to my frivilous cease and desist letter will cost a few hundred dollars in legal fees.
Perhaps I'll demand that they send no more cue cats to my house since I have severe cat allergies. All medical costs I incur will be forwarded to them as damages due to their unsolicited cat. -----
Slashdot Mirror
No need to actually register yourself into their spam machinery.
-----
Jakob Nielsen has been saying that ads on the net don't work since 1997. And he's right.
Furthermore ad stripping software like Adsubtract stop your browser from even asking for the ads.
It's only matter of time until people realize that those banner ads are sucking down the bandwith on their poor 56k modems. Once they find they can surf faster without the ads, it'll spead faster than All-Advantage...
-----
With an affordable DVD burner, you don't even need DeCSS.
You can do a track by track clone of a DVD and get a perfect copy if you have a DVD player and burner in the same system.
Netflix + new Pioneer Superdrive = big DVD library. Wait until you are buying DVD blanks on spindles like we do with CDRs.
I predict the first lawsuit will be filed within a month.
-----
A CIO is concerned with the communication and data processes within an company and the relationship the company when communicating to the outside world.
A CTO is concerned with the various technologies used by a company to do business, improve business practices, and cope with the changing world outside the company.
Many seem to think that the only technology a company relys on is Information Technology. This is wrong. Information technology is a vital key to success in business, but it is not the only technology to be concerned with when running a company.
Imagine your run a large television network. There are vast amounts of data that flow to keep the network on the air. The IT challenges are formidable. Outside of IT there are many other concerns with the technologies needed to roduce the shows, transmit them over satellites, and get them to people's home. Not to mention working with consumer products to develop other outlets for the audio and video media that the network produces.
Imagine you are running a theme park. Again, IT technology is vital, but so is the ability to build rides, develop new technologies for guests, and react to the competing theme parks.
As you can see, the roles of CIO and CTO are seperate and distinct. I'll conceed in a pure play IT company, there isn't a lot of ground for the CTO to cover, but most companies aren't pure play IT companies.
-----
The solar radiation will degrade the hard drive and RAM to the point of unusability. Long term solar radiation studies have shown that that extended exposure in orbit subjects electronics to solar storms and other destructive environments that harm non-shielded systems.
There are also the issues of microgravity and vacuum. Metals behave differently in orbit. Several communications satellites have failed because of the growth of zinc solenoids in the spacecraft in orbit. Plastics will outgas, changing their structure. The air trapped in the hardrive will exert a constant pressure on the seals holding it in, increasing the chance of hard drive failure. All the rules are different in space.
The temperature differential between the light and dark sides of the satellite are approx. 200 F. With all that thermal stress, all components will be mechanically stressed.
While I applaud this guys gung-ho spirit, I think he underestimates the harsh environment of space.
-----
The problem will be that the transmission signal will be different than the decoded picture signal. A completely different packet format.
It would be like trying to record a TV signal on an audio cassette recorder. Yes, you could theoretically build a recorder that handles the transmission signal, but to record a 19.3 Mb/s signal takes some skill and is beyond the reach of most people.
I work in one of these large media mega-corps. The goal of all this is to prevent the casual user from engaging in copying programs. They (I should say we), all know that there will always be ways to get around the system. If you have to actually go out and buy a Macrovision fixer, most people won't do it.
The real loophole will be through the professional TV gear. No broadcaster will allow themselves to be saddled with these handicaps and concerns. Currently, professional broadcast gear ignores SCMS and all other copy protection systems. This won't change with DTV gear.
-----
The central theme of the movie is not the green Destiny sword, it is the personal search each person is looking to resolve.
The sword is simply the device that allows the characters to search for that which eludes them. Whether it be unrequited love, vengance, or escape from destiny, eachcharacter strives to fight against their own nature to achieve what they truly desire.
I can't go into more details without spoiling the movie. But the movie is about what is truly important in life, love and happiness.
If you've already seen the movie, ask yourself, what does each personm in the film really want? Then look at the obstacles the person puts in their own way on the path there. Puts a whole different spin on the film.
-----
The guy is right on about the "incredibly self-absorbed, uninsightful Boomer perspective"
-----
He is blinded, just as we all are, by the communities we choose to participate in online.
The Well has been referenced as a touchstone for all online communities, a model for others to strive for. I think this is wrong.
Yes, in the early days of BBSs and the text only internet, these types of 'aesthetic salon' style commmunities were the mainstay and core of 'online people'. Once the online world opened to those outside academia and the computer industry the flavor of the net changed dramatically. "cozy little worlds" don't appeal to everyone. To expect that everyone wants to be "audience, performer and scriptwriter" is ludicrious.
I remember the day of the infamous 'Green Card' usenet spam. The net rose up and smote Canter & Siegel. I personally faxed them black pages to burn up their fax machinefuser. This type of group action is gone. Spam is with us forever more.
The same goes for this elusive idea of virtual communities. The idea of a 'best way' for online groups is wrong.
The idea that there is a bad influence out on the net wrecking virtual communities is wrong. Forget about whether the person is online or in the PTA meeting with you. If someone acts like a jerk, you treat them as a jerk. Whether the group is my Ultima Online group or my wife's online quilting guild, a community reacts the same way to disruptive influences, they fight back. The manner of fighting back doesn't matter, the fact that people stand up against anti-social people does.
Standing up to people in virtual community is no differnet than standing up to people real life. Yes, it takes a bit of courage (less online) but it is very effective. Whining about how communites are plagued by "hostile participants" does nothing to solve the problem. Navel gazing of this sort is more about boosting the ego of the gazer than solving the problem. "Everyone would see how great my friends and I are if those bad people would stop disagreeing with us.", is the basic tent of all those pining for the salad days of the Well.
Lastly, I need to point out that Rheingold's site, Hotwired, was not killed by anti-social types, it was killed by the editors that ran the site. Once a site that had daily essays and commentary in Packet that led to interesting discussion, Hotwired is now a web site about making web sites. Gone is any substantial commentary. Why? It didn't pay is my best guess. The fact is that there are many disruptive forces on virtual communities and they are all not anti-social teens.
-----
Chester, please drop me an email.
-----
Compassion, kindness, and the reduction of suffering by others at personal cost is the highest goal of life, or so Buddahism teaches. You may consider Buddahism not a 'viable way of life' but many do.
I agree it is an important concept, but remember we are talking about lessons for children here. Children have a very self centered world. The first step in teaching children compassion is teaching them they are not the center of the universe. This is what the Emperor's New Groove attempts to do.
As an adult, of course the goal is to temper personal satisfaction with compassion for others is a reasonable goal. But without learning the fundementals as a child, achieving this is nigh impossible.
-----
You have to teach children a bit at a time.
Personally, I put "Be nice to others" earlier in child rearing than "Be skeptical of others".
You are right it is important, but IMHO, somethings, like kindness, need to be taught first.
-----
I took my 4 year daughter to the movie yesterday.
Like most movies designed for kids, it's a bit simplistic. What would you expect? Keeping a 4 year focused for 90 minutes is a tough thing.
The story is about learning the importance of putting other's needs ahead of your own. A good lesson for everyone in this day and age. The bad are all punished and the once narcissitic emperor is rewarded with caring friends after learning to help others. As a parent, I'd much rather have them watch this than Scooby Doo.
The animation and music are on average for a Disney movie. You can tell they tried to keep the action in three places for simplicity, the castle, the peasant village, and the road between. There are none of the surperb background animation pieces found in Little Mermaid or Pochohantas. BTW, the preview for Atlantis looked promising, Jules verne style submarines, yum!
The are several cameos by other Disney characters to keep the adults chuckling. Adults that enjoy other Disney animation will enjoy this movie. the voice acting of all involved is good. Personally, I can't stand David Spade, but not seeing his alien-like RL body made it passable.
Overall, it's a good children's film that's worth catching on a matinee.
-----
Do you think Carnivore is th only tool the intelligence agencies have to track you online?
With a court order, they can tap your internet connection, read your email, monitor your keyboard, enter your home and copy your hard drive, video tape you, audio tape you, log into your financial accounts, and monitor every last aspect of your life.
-----
I have no great love for Microsoft products, but the Outlook/Exchange solution works well.
If implemented well it allows several important business tools.
Group calendaring (the best feature, IMHO)
Group tasking
Address/Contact Management
Powerful email managment
Yes, you can achieve all these things with seperate applications and servers, but with Outlook/Exchange they are combined into one system.
You can't base all you business decisions on the "Microsoft is Evil" philosophy. You need to base business decisions on what is best for the company's productivity and bottom line.
If someone has a opensource complete replacement for Outlook/Exchange, I'm all ears. Until then, Microsoft has a good product and I recommend using it.
-----
Verant backed down and does not scan people's computer for 'unauthorized' programs.
Verant are still evil, but his particular evil episode happened almost 6 months ago
-----
The real benefit of having a speedy cpu/video card is the ability to run the games at a high resolution with all the effects turned on maximum.
Playing at 640x480 with 200 fps, but all the effects turned down/off is suxxor.
At 1280x1024 and high quality textures and effects, the games are smooth as movies at 60 fps. If your box can run this way, you don't need to run at 200 fps at 640x480. A great looking smooth picture is much better than a stripped down image.
The only problem I have is that the Windows nVidia drivers are still better than the Linux nVidia drivers.
-----
It's funny, 'cause it's true.
-----
Perhaps you could try a cellular modem. Most phones have optional modems that work at 14.4 to 28.8 speeds.
I'm not sure how you'd trigger the Tivo to call in while you've made the call into an ISP.
-----
The basic idea of 'interactive TV' is the ability to provide a web type experience while watching TV . Yes, it may not be what everyone thinks is the killer application, but it is feasible and it can work today. Both Microsoft, Intel, and Liberate (formally NCI, formally Network Computer, spun off by Oracle) are using the ATVEF standards as a basis for their work. Companies like PowerTV, OpenTV, and Wink are attempting to use proprietary formats and software to achieve the the same goal.
The ATVEF group have developed a set of extension s to HTML that allow an ATVEF enabled device to display TV and web type images simultaneously. You can see a real example of this by watching Jeopardy on a WebTV box. You can play along with the show.
Part of the ATVEF standard calls for the inclusion of triggers and javascript type information to be actually sent with the video in the VBI (vertical blanking interval). This type of triggering allows synchonized events without worrying about the latency of the TV path.
A company called Mixed Signals does this type of TV enhancement for other comapnies.
Another type of enhanced TV is the 'two screen' type. Two screen means haivng your computer and TV in the same room. ABC has been doing this with Monday Night Football and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. If you watch a MNF or SNF game and see a play dispute instant replay, you will see the internet users actually voting on wether the play should stand or not. The count is updated in realtime on television. You can try it ABC's enhanced TV the next time one of their shows is on.
I's suggest reading the ATEVF site a bit. It's the standard supported by most of the content providers. They are the ones going to pay the big bill to enhance TV.
Let me know if you need to know more. I have the connections to find out pretty much any answer about this stuff.
-----
Go with someone like BGW Systems for the rack mount shelves and such.
Look under "Racks" for details
Your still going to need decent cooling with an open case environment. I don't know of a multi computer ATX power supply.
-----
You can save us a lot of time with this kind of analysis. :)
-----
While all based on gaming, the communities that surround these games are large and vibrant. With real world gatherings, weddings, and acrimonius disputes, how are these communities any different than a bowling league?
They are not.
Society is constantly changing. For example, in the 1700's it might be preposterous to consider moving from New York to California, leaving your family behind, today it is commonplace. Communities moving to being based on the internet instead of the local coffeeshop or concert hall may sound strange to some, but it is the next step.
Just as there are many real world communities that I find uninteresting (bird watching groups), there are others that are interesting (my old fraternity buddies). There are some online groups that I don't want to be a part of (The Well), and others I do (Slashdot).
The real question that needs to be researched is the difference in the persona you are seen as in the real world as opposed to the persona you are seen as in a virtual community. I have many friends that know me only from online contact. How is their perception of me different than my coworker?
-----
That and a few more device drivers built into XFree...
-----
Since the letters they are sending have no legal weight, do the same to them. A C&D is no more than a way of showing that you are made aware of the company's desires.
Perhaps its time to call in a favor from my laywer buddies. DC's response to my frivilous cease and desist letter will cost a few hundred dollars in legal fees.
Perhaps I'll demand that they send no more cue cats to my house since I have severe cat allergies. All medical costs I incur will be forwarded to them as damages due to their unsolicited cat.
-----